The windy city is a cornucopia of modern art, fine dining, cutting edge comedy, and die-hard sports fans. Snap a photo of your reflection in the silver Cloud Gate sculpture at Millennium Park before heading to Grant Park to get hit with the refreshing spray of Buckingham Fountain. There are dozens of museums and theater companies in Chicago, so a cultural experience is never hard to find. You’re sure to laugh your head off at the Second City Theater, the professional launch pad of many famous comedians.
Restaurants in Chicago
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5.0 based on 40 reviews
I stopped by for Saturday afternoon mass during a recent layover. The church is modern and beautiful, with clean lines and gorgeous artwork. It's run by the Franciscan order and serves a growing Loop population. Was very glad I happened by. Lovely organ music, too.
4.5 based on 2,992 reviews
The Chicago Cultural Center is the nation's first free municipal cultural center and one of the most visited attractions in Chicago. The stunning landmark building, opened in 1897 as the city's first public library, is home to two magnificent stained-glass domes, and annually presents hundreds of free cultural exhibits and performances. Admission is free.
Aside from being a beautiful building filled with finely executed mosaic work, a lovely marble staircase and an always interesting array of changing exhibits; the Cultural Center also has a free weekly recital under the largest Tiffany glass dome in the world. The 45 minute Wednesday concerts take place in the Preston Bradley Hall at 12:15 pm. Be sure to get there early (20-30 minutes) if you want to sit up front. The space fills up quickly. If you have nothing planned afterwards go to the Randolph St entrance after the concert and go on a tour of the building. Space is limited for this tour and they start at 1:15 pm daily. Check out their calendar of events before planning your Chicago itinerary to take advantage of this excellent cultural institution.
4.5 based on 27 reviews
A unique rounded entrance marks one of the city's true architectural gems, the last major structure designed by famed architect Louis Sullivan.
We stopped at this 1899 building during a Chicago Architecture Foundation walking tour, and, as an architecture buff, I was blown away by the structure's elaborate cast-iron ornamentation. It surrounds the large display windows of the lower two floors and is especially elegant at the entrance located at the corner of South State and East Madison streets. The design incorporates plant and geometric shapes in a delicate, precise pattern. I took an even closer look at the work inside the entrance before crossing the street for a better overall view of the effect. From there I could see how much the bottom levels differ from the rest of the 12 stories. The plain upper floors of the commercial building display a terra cotta facade with many windows made possible because of steel-frame construction. For decades, the structure was known as the Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building, after the department store housed there for decades. It moved out in 2007 and now bears the name of the Sullivan Center, after the famous architect responsible for the building's original design. A City Target currently occupies the first two floors.
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The Chicago Temple includes a ground floor sanctuary, leased office space and a small Sky Chapel that is located 400 feet above ground level.
4.5 based on 34 reviews
I remember when the Prudential Building was the tallest building in Chicago. How times have changed. Of course, there was a time when the Reliance Building, was recognized as a "skyscraper," all 14 floors of it. Located at 1 West Washington Street, at State Street, in the center of what once was known as "That Great Street," the Reliance Building was designed by architect John Root in 1890 and completed by Charles Atwood in 1895. It was the first skyscraper to have large plate glass windows make up the majority of its surface area, foreshadowing a design feature that would become commonplace in the 20th century. It remains significant for other reasons, including its white glazed terra cotta facade and steel frame superstructure. It also was one of the first skyscrapers to offer electricity and telephone service to all of its offices. The lobby is a showcase with its 20-foot-high ceiling, Italian marble, elegant mosaic floor tiles and an old-time metal elevator grill with decorative wrought iron. Today, the building boasts the popular Atwood Cafe on the first floor with a fashionable boutique hotel, the 122-room Staypineapple, formerly the Hotel Burnham, filling the rest of the space. The Reliance Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976. Visitors still marvel at the "proto-Modernist" structure, which reflects the growth of Chicago's central retail district. How could it have been built in 1895?
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